Movable table and suction box structure for fourdrinier machine



J. BAXTER, JR MOVABLE TABLE AND SUCTION BOX STRUCTURE May 6, 1958 FORFOURDRINIER MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 29. 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l IIlllilll lllllll ATTORNEYS May 6, 1958 J. BAXTER, JR 2,833,134

MOVABLE TABLE AND SUCTION BOX STRUCTURE FOR FOURDRINIER MACHINE OriginalFiled Dec. 29. 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH BAXTER JR.

ATTORNEYS y 6, 1958 Y J. BAXTER, JR 2,833,184

MOVABLE TABLE AND SUCTION BOX STRUCTURE FOR FOURDRINIER MACHINE OriginalFiled Dec. 29, 1951 Sheets-Sheet 3 132, PRESSURE I SWITCH mmawma.

167 E" JosEPH JR.

May 6, 1958 J. BAXTER, JR 2,833,134

MOVABLE TABLE AND SUCTION BOX STRUCTURE FOR FOURDRINIER MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Dec. 29, 1951 INVE NTOR JOSEPH BAXTER JR.

BY W,MZ,M+73

ATTORNEKS May 6, 1958 J. BAXTER, JR

MOVABLE TABLE AND SUCTION BOX STRUCTURE FOR FOURDRINIER MACHINE OriginalFiled D90. 29. 1951 T 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 i JUL 4 INVENTOR JOSEPH BAXTERJa.

ATTORNE YS United States Patent MOVABLE TABLE AND SUCTION -BOX STRUC-TURE FOR FOURDRINIER MACHINE Joseph Baxter, Jr., Franklin, Ohio,assignor to The Black- Chaiwson Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporationof Original application December 29, 1951, Serial No. 264,088, nowPatent No. 2,760,411, datedAugust 28, 1956. Divided and this applicationApril 25, 1956, Serial No. 580,596

6 Claims. (Cl. 92-44) 'lhis'invention relates to a Fourdrinier papermachine. This application is a division of my application Serial No.264,088, filed December 29, 1951, now Patent No. 2,760,411.

It is generally a primary object of the invention to provide aFourdrinier paper machine which is of lightweight and rigid constructioneliminating a major proportion of the weight and many of the componentparts of conventional Fourdrinier machines of present day manufacturewithout sacrificing size or capacity, which may therefore beadvantageously fabricated of more desirable materials for improvedoverall construction and maintenance at economical cost, and which inaddition may readily be constructed with all portions of the wiresection mounted in cantilever fashion for tilting as a unit tofacilitate wire changing.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide aFourdrinier paper machine incorporating a control arrangement for thewater draining from the newly formed paper web such that the water isdirected outwardly to one or both sides of the machine from between thetop and bottom runs of the wire without the necessity of saveall traysand the like, and thus to eliminate a large proportion of the weight ofconventional Fourdrinier machines represented by such trays and theirsupporting structure with resulting economy of manufacture andmaintenance as well as generally improved operation.

In one embodiment of the invention, the major portion of the wiresection which supports the table rolls comprises a plurality of spacedtruss members extending transversely of the direction of wire travel andconnected by simple reinforcing members to form a main frame of rigidbridge-like construction which may at the same time be comparativelylight in weight for economical manufacture as well as convenientoperation. The truss members of the frame cooperate to support acovering roof of sheet metal formed at its sides to overhang thefrontand back of the machine in such manner as to deliver the white waterdraining from the top run of the wire and paper web thereon away fromthe bottom run of the wire. The truss frame also forms a convenientsupport for the table rolls and cooperating deflector members forstripping the table rolls of Water and thus causing all water drainingfrom the wire as it crosses the table rolls to fall to the roof, andthis entire structure is readily supported at one side by a horizontalpivotal mounting on the base of the machine and forms a rigid unit whichmay be tilted about its pivotal mounting for support in cantileverfashion across its entire width for convenient wire changing.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a wire sectionof a Fourdrinier paper machine of cantilever type truss roofconstruction wherein multiple truss members extending transversely ofthe wire in spaced relation longitudinally of the machine cooperate toform a lightweight but highly rigid and strong main frame for 2,833,184Patented May ,6, 1958 chine having a wire section including a truss roofas outlined above wherein a lightweight roof member of sheet material ismounted on topof the trusses and below the table rolls and is inclineddownwardly towards one or both sides of the machine to receive waterdraining from the table rollsand to direct this water laterally of themachine for ready discharge to the pit without passing' through thereturn flight of the wire below the machine;

The invention has special relation to the control of tension in theFourdrinier wire, from the standpoint both of facilitating wire changingand also of maintaining controlled tension in the wire during operation,and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a Fourdrinierpaper machine having an adjustable tensioning device for the wire whichincorporates a continuously operable control for measuring the tensionin the wire and a drive automatically responsive to the measuringcontrol in such manner as to correct during operation of the machine forvariations in tension from a desired maintained substantially constanttension.

An additional object is to provide an automatic tension controllingdevice for the wire of a Fourdrinier paper machine which is constructedand arranged for ready shifting between an operating position wherein itestablishes and maintains desired tension in the wire and a releaseposition such that not only is it free of the wire but also in itsmovement to the release position, it provides suflicient slack in thewire for ready removal and changing thereof without requiring therelease or removal of other parts of the machine. A i

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings and the appendedclaims. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational view illustratingthe wire section of a Fourdrinier paper machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 2- 2. of

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation showing themounting arrangement for the breastroll and with the roll in its raisedor operative position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing thebreast roll in its releaseposition;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig.1 showing the generalconstruction of the main supporting frame work of the machine; A

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the Wire section tilted forwire changing;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section-on the line 7-7 of? Fig. 5;

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary views showing the controlling andlocking mechanism for tilting the wire] section, Fig. 8 showing theparts released as in Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 showing the parts in theirmachine tilted as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the mountingarrangement for one of the shake rails which support the table rolls,the view being in section approximately on the line 10-10 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1 show- .1

ing the arrangement of stretch rolls for tensioning the forming wire; s

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary and-somewhat diagrammatic perspective showing adrive for 1 view in the nature of a the stretch rolls;

positions with the aeaaisa Fig. 13 is a fragmentaryelevational view on alarger scale showing the position of the stretch rolls during operationof the machine;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 showing the position ofthestretchrolls during wire changing;

Fig. 15 is a further enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing adetail of the stretch roll mechanism;

Fig. 16 is a section on the line 16-16 of Fig. 1 illustrating one of thesuction boxes and its supporting structure;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary section on the line 17-17 of Fig..l6illustrating internal details of the suction box;

Fig. .18 is a section on the line 18-18 of Fig. 16 illustrating thepivotal mounting of one of the suction boxes;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary section on the line 1919 of Fig. 1 showing thesuction couch roll and its supporting structure;

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary view looking from right to left in Fig. 19 toshow the tilting mechanism for the.

couch roll;

' Fig.21 -is a perspective view of the wire section of a Fourdriniermachine embodying a modified construction in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 22 is a transverse vertical section through the paperrnachine ofFig. 21.

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary view looking from right to left in :Fig.25 andpartly broken away showing a portion of the wire tensioning mechanism ofthe machine of Fig. 21;and

Figs. 24 and 25 are diagrammatic views in side elevation illustratingthe operation of the wire tensioning mechanism of Fig. 23.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of.the invention, Fig. 1 shows the general arrangement of the wire sectionof a Fourdrinier paper machine including the continuous forming wire 30,the breastroll 31, table rolls 32 provided with water deflectors 33,suctionboxes 34and the suction couch roll 35. The stock inlet or sliceis indicated fragmentarily at 36, and similarly the usual forming boardand its saveall tray are indicated at 37 and 38 respectively. The mainframe structure supporting. the breast roll and table rolls includes aplurality of truss members 40, which extend transversely of thedirection of wire travel in spaced relation longitudinally of themachine, and each truss member 40 has a supporting post 42 at the'backof the machine. The suctionboxes are supported separately from the trussframe but are connected therewithas de scribed hereinafter.

The truss members 40 are shown as formed of main cross members 44, topmembers 45 and a plurality of diagonally and vertically arrangedsections 46. These parts may be welded together in any suitable'trussdesign, with the parts 44 and 46 being formed of tubular sections ofstainless steel or other suitable material pr0- viding adequate strengthand rigidity together with light ness in weight, and with the parts 45formed of similar material in strap form for more convenientfabrication. Longitudinal bracing is :lprovided by means of additionalsections 47 and 48 welded between adjacent trusses as shown in Fig.7,the number of such longitudinal reinforcements depending in largemeasure upon the width of ithe machine, and these longitudinal bracesmay also connect the suctionboxes together and to the 'truss'frame.Additional reinforcing members 50 may be welded as shown betweenapproximately the midpoint of each truss and the associated post 42 atthe back of the machine, these reinforcements 50 being arranged atanacute angle to the main cross members 44. A covering roof 'ofstainlesssteel or other suitable sheet material is inturn supported onthe truss members, and it is formed of curved section with itssideportions inclined downwardly in overhanging relation with the endsofthe truss men1-.

bers.

The supporting structure of the machine includes a pair of base members60 and 61 which extend along the front and back of the machine similarlyto the usual sole plates but which are shown as formed of generallytrough shape in section to receive water draining from the sides of theroof 55, and each base member has a plurality of openings 62 fordirecting water therefrom into the usual wire pit (not shown). With thisconstruction, all the water draining from the newly formed web on theupper run of the wire as it passes from the breast roll to the suctionboxes is received initially on the upper surface of roof 55. This watertherefore drains off at the side of the machine so that it isunnecessary to provide saveall trays or like members between the upperand lower runs of the wire such as are usually employed to preventcontamination of the lower run by fiber carried with the white waterfrom the web on the upper run, and the water is discharged laterallyfrom between the upper and lower runs of the wire. Also, this roofarrangement provides for continuous drainage over lips extending thefull length of the table roll section and thus gives maximum capacityfor rapid and complete drainage. In addition, with the drainage spreadover the full area of the table section, the resulting film of water iscorrespondingly thin to reduce the tendency for accumulation ofentrapped air in the return water system, and also the roof is easy toclean by simple washing with a hose or the like.

In the usual Fourdrinier construction, the saveall trays and theirsupporting structure constitute a major proportion of the total weightof the wire section, and since these parts are unnecessary in thepresent machine, it is also possible and practicable in accordance withthe invention to construct this section of the machine of substantiallylighter parts without sacrificing any necessary strength or rigidity.Also with this truss roof arrangement described, materials usuallyconsidered too costly for this purpose but which are nevertheless highlydesirable, such as stainless steel, can be used at economical costbecause of the greatly reduced weight and requirements with respect toquantity of material.

This greatly lightened overall structure in accordance with theinvention is also readily adaptable to a cantilever mounting for thewire section facilitating wire changing. Referring to Figs. 2, 5 and 6,the rear base member 61 includes a plurality of rib-like stand portions65, and the posts 42 at the back of the machine are secured at theirlower ends to a shaft 66 journaled in these stands and extending thefull length of the machine. A pad portion 67 of the front base member 60serves in the operative position of the machine as the support for theplurality of blocks 68 which are secured to the front ends of the trussmembers 40, and the entire frame can thus pivot with the shaft 66 toraise the blocks 68 away from the pad 67 and so that the front of theframe is supported in cantilevered position as shown in Fig. 6.

Movement of the frame for wire changing as described is shown aseffected by a plurality of fluid pressure cylinders 70 mounted at theback of an upstanding portion of each of the stands 65, and each havinga piston rod 71 connected with a bracket 72 at the back of the adjacentpost 42. The arrangement is such that when pressure is applied tocylinders 70, the posts 42 are pulled rearwardly of the machine so thatthe entire main frame rocks with the shaft 66, raising 'blocks 68 awayfrom pad 67, and in this position the wire is readily removed and a newwire mounted in place from the front of the machine as indicateddiagrammatically at 30a in Fig. 6. In order to cause the entire frame tomove as a unit and to prevent premature movement of one or more of theposts 4-2, the latter may be bolted or otherwise secured to shaft 66 sothat this shaft will act as a torque rod.

The frame may be readily held in raised position by means such as aloop-shaped latch member 75 (Figs. 8 and 9) pivoted to each stand 65 andadapted to slip over the cooperating latch portion 76 at the upper endof the adjacent'post 42. Disengagement of each latch75 is shown aseffected by means of a fluid pressure cylinder 1 77 carried by stand 65and having its piston rod pivoted in aslot 78 in the latch 75. Thecylinders 77 may be double acting to operate the latches in bothdirections, or they may be single acting to disengage the latches, withengagement of the latches being effected by gravity after the frame hasbeen raised a 'sufiicient distance. A shield 80 is shown as secured tothe roof 55 adjacent each of the posts 42 to protect these parts againstsplashing by the water draining from the roof.

Fig. 1 shows the general location of the several guide rolls for thelower run of the wire 30. The guide roll 85 is mounted as shown in'Fig.2 on the base member 60 at the front of the machine and on a stand 86carried by the other base member 61, and if desired this roll may besupported in conjunction with a suit-able wire guide for movementangularly of the direction of travel of the wire to maintain travel ofthe wire in the proper direction, as shown for example in Staege PatentNo. 2,484,- 473 issued October 11, 1949, to the assignee of thisapplication. One or more inside rolls 88 above the lower run of the wireare carried by the posts 42 and blocks 68 for tilting with the trussroof, as best seen in Fig. 6. The guide roll 90 next to the couch isalso an inside roll and is carried by supports 91 extending downwardlyfrom one of the suction boxes 34'and tiltable therewith as shown. inFig. 16. This provides the important advantage in operation that thewire passes below roll 90 after leaving the couch roll so that anyparticles of fiber adhering thereto tend to be forced out. This cleaningaction is further aided by showers 95 located between roll 90 and thecouch roll which promote effective cleaning by maintaining a floodedcondition at the nip of roll 90 and the wire.

The breast roll 31 and the table rolls 32 are all carried by a pair ofrails 99 which extend the full distance from the breast roll to thesuction boxes, and which are adapted for connection to any suitableshaking mechanism (not shown). These rails 99 are shown as ofrectangular hollow section for reduced weight, and they have flexiblemountings on the truss roof providing for shaking the table rolls. Forexample, the rails 99 are shown as bolted at 98 to the upper ends of aplurality of plates 100 each of which has its lower end welded orotherwise secured to a sleeve 101 mounted by means of an internal rubbersleeve 102 on a bolt or rod 103 which is in turn supported byyoke-shaped bracket 105 similarly secured to the roof 55, preferablydirectly above one of the top members 45 for adequate rigidity. Thistype of mounting unit, in which the rubber sleeve is bonded whom themetal sleeve 101 and the rod 102, provides for the desired vibration ofthe plates 100 and the. parts supported thereby, and similar results areobtainable by constructing the plates 100 as leaf springs having theirlower ends fixedly secured in the brackets 105. If desired, ,the rails99 may be formed of multiple separate sections each connected with ashaking mechanism for shaking independently of each other.

The breast roll 31 is shown as mounted directly on the shake rails 99 bymeans of a pair of brackets 110 welded or otherwise secured to the endsof the rails 99' and equipped'with means for effecting controlledsliding movement of the breast roll away from the slice to providesuflicient clearance for ready wire changing. Referring to Figs. 3 and4, each of these brackets includes a surface-111 forming a slideway forthe square'bearing blocks 112 for the breast roll journals. Each bracket110 is also provided with a complementary member 115 which is boltedthereto to enclose the bearing blocks 112 and which includes a slideway116 and a face 117 limiting upward movement of the bearing block, andthe members are shown as provided with eye bolts 1187to aid in their'removal when it is desired to replace the breast roll.

"The sliding movement of bearing'blocks 112 in the slideways 111 and 116is effected and controlled by a pair of fluid pressure cylinders 120mounted on the brackets 110 and having their piston rods 121 connected Tto the bearing blocks. Bolts 123 are also threaded'in the brackets 110for engagement with the pad portions on I the lower sides of the bearingblocks to lock them in their uppermost position. Thus when it is desiredto change the wire, it is merely necessary to release thebolts 123 andpermit the breast roll to move downwardly through the sliding movementof its bearing blocks 112 on the slideways 111. After the wire has beenchanged, the breast roll is returned to its uppermost position by meansof cylinders 120 and is locked therein by the bolts 123;.

Figs. 11-15 illustrate the construction and operation of the stretchroll arrangement which maintains proper ten-- sion in the wire 30 duringoperation of the machine and may be mounted directly on the base member60 similarly to the guide roll 85. The arm 133 is similarly mounted forpivotal movement about its center by means of a shaft I 137 carried by astand 138 on base member 61. The

shaft carries a gear 140 meshing with a large gear 141 on a shaft 142extending across the width of the machine and shown as mounted on thebase members by means of stands 143, and at the back of the machine,the;

shaft 142 carries a large gear 145 meshing with a ge 146 on shaft 137.

During operation of the machine, the wire 13. Rotation of arms 132 and133 will cause roll 130 to move about the axis of shafts 135 and 137 ina path passing between rolls 88 and 131, and similarly the path of roll131 will pass between rolls 85 and 130, thus varying the extent of wrapof the wire on the stretch rolls and correspondingly increasing ordecreasing the tension in the wire depending upon the direction ofmovement of A motor operated control is accordingly prothe rolls. videdfor effecting rotation of the stretch roll arms in response tovariations of the tension in the wire in order to maintain substantiallyconstant tension. This control includes a motor 150 driving a worm 151meshing with a worm gear 152 mounted for free rotation on shaft 142 bymeans of .a sleeve or hub portion 153. The sleeve 153 I also carries anarm 154 supporting a small air cylinder 1 i 155, and the piston rod 156from cylinder 155 is positioned to abut an arm 157 projecting axiallyfrom the gear 141.

It will thus be apparent that if arm 154 moves in clockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 12, it will act through cylinder 155 and rod 156 to forcearm 157 and gear 141 similarly in clockwise direction. This movementwill be transmitted through gear 140 to cause counterclockwise movementof the stretch roll arms and tightening of wire 30, and correspondinglymovement of arm 154 in counterclockwise direction will cause clockwisemovement of the stretch roll arms and resulting decrease in the tensionof the wire. To control this movement automatically in such manner as tomaintain predetermined tension conditions in the wire, a pressure switch160 is provided which is connected with the cylinder 155 as indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 12 and which in turn controls a reversingswitch 161 for motor 150. The switch 160 is adjustable to respond to achange in the pressure in cylinder 155 above or below a predetermineddesired range, and since such change will be causedby increase ordecrease of the tension in the wire, transmitted through the contactbetween piston rod 156 and arm 157, when a a change occurs the motor 150will be actuated to effect the proper correcting movementof the stretchroll arms; r 2,

30 wraps both of the stretch rolls 130 and 131 as shown in Figs. 1 and14arr'd 15 show the operation of the stretch roll mechanism forreleasing the wire for changing. The journals of 'roll 131 arereleasably carried in the arms 132 and 133 by means of a releasablebearing portion 165 pivoted jonthe armat 166 and provided with areleasable locking bolt 167, which may also be pivoted to the arm asshown for easyhandling. At each side of the machine, a hook 170 ispivoted at 171 to the machine frame and is normally' held in retractedposition by a suitable releasable latch mechanism indicateddiagrammatically at 172. The hooks 170 are so arranged that when theyare released and dropped to their downwardly hanging positions they arein position to receive the journals of roll 131 as the stretch roll armsrotate. Thus in order to release the wire for changing, it is merelynecessary to rotate the arms sufficiently to deposit the journals ofroll 131 in books 170, release the bearing portions 165, and thencontinue'tlie movement of the arms until they are approximatelyhorizontalas shown in Fig. 14. In this position of the parts, the roll131 is supported from the cantilevered portion of the machine framewhile the roll 13'0 remains supported on the base structure, and thewire is accordingly free for lateral movement as shown in Fig. 14. Thenafter the Wire has been removed and replaced, the reverse operation willreturn the stretch roll mechanism to its operating position shown inFig. 13.

'This 'ten sioning mechanism for the wire offers outst'andingadvantag'esfor convenience of wire changing as well as 'during operation of thepaper machine. It is compact anddoes not require changing of the basicmachine frame, and at the same time it provides adequate slack for wirechanging without requiring a well or other special structure forreceiving the slack after the wire has been tightened on the machine. Inaddition, since it is constructed foradjustrnent through a comparativelywide range, the initial length of the wire is not critical, and thestretch rolls can be operated to compensate for a range of wire lengthswithout adjustment other than the required movement of these rolls totheir positions wherein the desired tension in the wire is established.

Thesu'ction boxes 34 are provided with a cantilevered mounting similarto that for the table roll section in order to facilitate wire changing.Referring to Fig. 16, eachsuction box includes a main enclosure 250having a supportingend portion 251 at the back of the machine which isrotatably mounted on a shaft 252 carried by a stand 253. Tilting of thesuction boxes with the table roll section is simplified'if the shaft 252is coaxial with the supporting shaft 66 for the table roll section, andshaft 252 is shown as hollow to provide a convenient connection from theseveral suction boxes to the pump or :other suction source. The hollowshaft 252 may be slotted at 254 ('Fig. 18) to connect with the interiorof the supporting portion .251 of each suction box and may be welded orotherwise secured to the boxes to provide suction-tight connections. Theopen end of hollow shaft 252 is connected with an elbow 255 by arotatable seal indicated generally at 256, and the closed end of theshaft is shown as rotatably supported at 257 on a suitable end stand258, and elbow .255forrns a convenient connection to the suction pump(not shown).

The-portions 251 of the suction boxes are tiltable on the axis of thehollow shaft 252, and the mechanism for effecting their tilting movementis shown as similar to that describedfor the table roll section andincludes a cylinder 260 mounted on the stand 253, a latch member 262 andan-operating cylinder 263 for the latch similar to the correspondingparts described in connection with Figs. .8 and 9. Atthe front side ofthe machine, each sucstructure, providing for movement of the frame 267out of the way when the suction 'box is tilted as described to raiseits'frontend for wire changing.

The suction boxes 34 are shown in the drawings as of the constructiondisclosed in detail in the copending application of 'Farhang Iavid,Serial No. 264,090, filed of even date herewith and assigned to the sameassignee as this application, now Patent No. 2,728,273. Each suctionboxcontains a plurality of continuously driven endless belts 270arranged transversely of the direction of wire travel, with the beltsforming the supporting surface for the underside of the wire and withthe effective suction being applied through slots formed by spacingadjacent belts. As shown in Fig. 17, the belts are supported at thefront end of the suction box on sheaves 271 carried by a shaft 272, andthe belts are driven continuously at slow speed to present a constantlychanging surface to the wire.

If all the belts 270 were driven in the same direction, they would tendto cause sidewise movement of the wire, and in order to provide fordriving adjacent belts in opposite directions and thus to counteractsuch tendency, every other sheave 271 is freely rotatable on shaft 272while the remaining sheaves are keyed to the shaft as shown. The reversearrangement is employed at the opposite end of the suction box, with thebelts which are driven from shaft 272 being supported on sheaves 273freely rotatable on the shaft 274 and vice versa. Separate motors areprovided for driving the shafts 272 and 274, one of these motors 275being shown in Fig. .1 at the front of the machine, and the second motorbeing sim'ilary mounted at the back of the machine. In order to providefor slow movement of the belts, for example at speeds of the order ofone foot per minute, the motors 275 should be of the gearhead type orotherwise provided with suitable speed reduction means. Couplings 276may be provided as indicated to facilitate individual removal of thesuction boxes for repair or replacement.

The suctioncouchroll 35 is also provided with a cantilever type mountingfor tilting with the rest of the wire section. Referring to Figs. 19 and20, the bearing housing 280 at the back end of the couch roll is pivotedat 281 to the upper end of a stand 282, and the journal 283 extendsthrough a further stand 285. A fluid pressure cylinder 286 is mounted atthe upper end of stand 285 and operates through a lever 287 pivoted inthe stand to depress the journal 283 and thus to rock the couch rollabout its pivots 281 and raise its forward end.

The suction connection to the interior of roll 35 provided at the frontof the machine, through a stand 290 and a removable section 291 boltedat 292 to the stand 290 and to the end housing 295 of the couch roll,which includes a passage 296 communicating with the suction chamberwithin the couch roll. For wire changing it is merely necessary toloosen the bolts 292 and remove the section 291, after which theapplication of pressure in cylinder 286 will cause the roll to tilt asdescribed.

Figs. 21-25 show a modified construction of Fourdrinier machineconstructed in accordance with the invention in which special provisionis made to cause all the water draining from the web through the tablerolls to be discharged at the back of the machine. The truss roofstructure which supports the breast roll and the table rolls includestruss members 300 which are shown as constructed of tubing as describedin connection with Figs. 5-7, with the top and bottom members in eachtruss arranged to incline upwardly and to converge towards thefront ofthe machine so that the sheet metal roof 301 supported thereon isinclined from the front of the machine towards the back throughout itsentire lateral extent. Also the front of the roof is flared upwardly at302, and its side at the back of the machine includes a depending skirt303 to direct the water draining from the web into the base member 305,which is shown as generally similar in construction to the base member61 as previously described.

Each of the truss members 300 is secured at the back of the machine to apost 310 pivoted by means of a shaft 311 in ribbed portions 312 of thebase.member 305,,

and a tilting assembly indicated generally at 313 corresponds to thesimilar mechanism described in connection with Figs. 8 and 9. A leg 315is secured in depending relation to the front of each truss member andis adapted to seat on the upper end of a correspondingly spaced basemember 316, with the engaging ends of these parts being shown as formedwith tongue and groove portions for increased stability, and the lowerends of the legs 315 are provided with bracing struts317.

The shake rails 320 are supported on the posts 315 and the truss members300 by flexible mountings 321, which may be of substantially the sameconstruction described in connection with Fig. 10, and a shield 322surrounds each mounting 321 at the back of the machine as shown. Thetable roll units indicated generally at 323 are also shown as of theconstruction previously described, and the mounting 324 for the breastroll 325 is also of substantially the same construction described inconnection with Figs. 3 and 4. A shake mechanism 326 is shown as mountedon the base member 305 and connected through rods 327 with the shakerail at the back of the machine. are shown as of essentially the sameconstruction previously described in connection with Figs. 1, l9 and 20.A shield 329 may be provided along the back of the machine to deflectwash water directed across roof 301 from'a wash-up hose at the front ofthe machine.

The suction box indicated generally at 330 is shown as similar to thesuction box construction previously described in connection with Figs.l6-18, but instead of a plurality of boxes each containing a relativelysmall number of continuous belts, Fig. 2l shows themachine as includingonly a single box 330 incorporating a corresponding large plurality ofcontinuous belts. The suction box 330 may be mounted at the back of themachine in substantially the same manner as described, and it ispreferably'connected with the longitudinal bracing of the truss frame asdescribed in connection with suction boxes 34. At the front of themachine, suction box 330 includes a pair of depending legs 331 fittingcorresponding supporting base members 316, and one ofthe legs 331 alsocooperates with the rearward portion of the suction boxto support theguide rolls 333. The legs 315 similarly cooperate with the posts 310 tosupport the guide rolls 335 and 336, while the lower guide roll 337 issupported by fixed stands 338.

The Fourdrinier machine of Fig. 21 .also incorporates a modifiedconstruction of wire tensioning mechanism in accordance with theinvention. Referring particularly to Figs. 23-25, a shaft 340 issupported on the base of the machine below the guide roll 335, and thisshaft extends from front to back of the'machine and supports a pair ofelongated curved arms 341 at its opposite ends which are secured theretofor rotation'there'with and in turn carry a stretch roll 343; A- wormgear 345 is free on shaft 340 and is driven by a-worm 346 from a motor347. The gear'345 includes a hub portion 348 which carries an arm 3 50,and this arm is operatively connected with the adjacent arm 341 through'apressure cylinderor bellows 355 which corresponds structurally andfunctionally with the cylinder 155 as described in connection with Fig.12 and correspondingly controls motor 347.

As shown in Fig. 24, the arms 341 may be swung downwardlyv to aretracted position in which the wire is released for lateral movementbetween rolls 335 and 343 for changing, and this arrangement does notrequire release of any of these parts in any other way. During operationof the machine, the arms 341 normally carry the roll 343 inapproximately the position shown in Fig. 25 in which roll 343 cooperateswith roll 335 and the adjacent roll 336 to maintain the proper tensionin the wire, with the actual operating position at any given time beingcontrolled by the tension in the wire acting through the pressure unit351 in the same manner as described The suction couch roll 328 and'its'mounting in connection with Fig.;12.". it will also be noted that sincein this arrangement the roll 335 which acts as a stretch roll is alsoone of the guide rolls and is fixed with relation to the main frame ofthe machine, it may readily be driven as desired in properlysynchronized relation with the couch roll to assist in proper driving ofthe wire, as by a separate synchronized motor or a belt drive from thecouch roll as indicated diagrammatically at 360 in Fig. 24. v

It will be apparent that this Fourdrinier machine as shown in Figs.21-25 provides substantially the same advantages of structure and modeof operation as described in connection with Figs. l20, especially fromthe standpoint of light and rigid construction eliminating the usualheavy side beams and saveall trays. The machine of Figs. 21 and 22 alsooifers the additional advantage that all the water draining from the webas it crosses the table rolls is discharged to the back of the machine,and the front of the machine is maintained free of structural supportsand the like other than the simple leg arrangement shown so that theattendants have unobstructed forming wire, the combination of aplurahtyof truss tion being especially adapted for cantilevered mounting,without the necessity for jacks or other heavy temporary orpermanentstructural supports.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to v be understood that the inventionis not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. in a Fourdrinier paper machine having a continuous forming wire, thecombination of a plurality of truss members arranged in spaced relationtransversely of the direction of wire travel and each including aplurality of structural members connected together to form such trussmember, a covering roof supported on the tops of said truss members andcooperating therewith to form a mainframe, a plurality of table rollsfor supporting the wire, means on said frame for supporting said tablerolls above said roof to cause water to drain from said wire onto 'saidroof, said roof being inclined laterally of said machine 'and extendinglaterally beyond the sides of the wire ,to deflect said water laterallyof said machine and outwardly from between the upper and lower runs .ofthe wire, means including a first shaft forming a horizontal mountingfor the back side of said frame, at least one suction box located beyondsaid table rolls in the path of travel of the wire, means including asecond shaft substantially coaxial with said first shaft forming ahorizontal pivotal mounting for each said suction box, and means fortilting said frame and said suction box on said mountings to support theopposite side of said frame and said suction box in cantileveredposition for changing the wire.

2. In a Fourdrinier paper machine having a continuous members arrangedin spaced relation transversely of the direction of wire travel and eachincluding a plurality of structural members connected together to formsuch truss member, a covering roof supported on the tops of said trussmembers and cooperating therewith to form a main frame, a plurality oftable rolls for supporting the wire, means on said frame for supportingsaid table rolls above said roof to cause water to drain from said wireonto said roof, said roof being inclined laterally of said ma chine andextending laterally beyond the sides of the wire to deflect said waterlaterally of said machine and out wardly from between the upper andlower runs of the wire, means including a shaft forming a horizontalmount-.

box'located beyond said table rolls in the path of travel of the. wire,means including a tube forming a horizontal pivotal mounting for eachsaid suction box, said tube having a suction connection between theinterior thereof and the'interior of each said suction box mountedthereon, means for connecting said tube to'a source of suction tofapplysuction through each said box to the wire pass ing thereover, and meansfor tilting said frame and said suction box on said mounting means tosupport the front side of said frame and said suction box incantilevered position for changing the wire.

3. In a Fourdrinierpaper machine having a continuous forming wire, thecombination of a main frame, a plurality of table rolls carried .by saidframe for supporting the wire, means including a shaft forming ahorizontal mounting for the back side of said frame, at. least onesuction box located beyond said frame in the path of travel of the wire,means including a tube forming a horizontal pivotal mounting for eachsaid suction box, said tube having a suction connection between theinterior thereof and the interior of each said suction box mountedthereon, means for connecting said tube to a source of suction to applysuction through each said bot; to the wire passing thereover, and meansfor tilting said frame and said suction box on said mounting means tosupport the front side of said frame and said suction box incantilevered position for changing the wire.

4. In a Fourdrinier paper machine, apparatus for supporting the formingwire comprising means forming a base, a plurality of truss membersextending transversely of the direction of wire travel and eachincluding a pair of top and bottom structural members secured togetherin vertically spaced relation by a plurality of bracing members spacedfrom each other transversely 'of said wire to provide a rigid trussmember of essentially open and lightweight construction, reinforcingmembers extending in the direction of wire travel intermediate the ends.of said truss members and connecting said truss members together inspaced relation lengthwise of said wire'to form a unitary framework, aplurality of spaced posts secured to the ends of said truss membersrespectively and cooperating with said base to support said frameworkfree of side beams a roof supported on said framework in coveringrelation therewith, a plurality of table rolls for supporting said wire,means carried by said framework for mounting said table rolls above saidroof to cause waterto drain from said wire onto said root, and said roofbeing inclined laterally of said machine and extending laterally beyondboth sides of said who to deflect such water laterally of said machineand outwardly from between the upper and lower runs of said wire. 7

5. In a Fourdrinier paper machine, apparatus for supporting the formingwire comprising means forming a base, a plurality of truss membersextending transversely of the direction of wire travel and eachincluding a pair of top and bottom structural members secured togetherin vertically spaced relation by a plurality of bracing members spacedfrom each other transversely of said wire to provide a rigid trussmember of essentially open and lightweight construction, reinforcingmembers extending in the direction of wire travel intermediate the endsof said truss members and connecting said truss members together inspaced relation lengthwise of said wire to form a unitary framework, aplurality of spaced posts secured to the ends of said truss membersrespectively and cooperating with said base to support said frameworkfree of side beams, a roof supported on said framework in coveringrelation therewith, a plurality of table rolls for supporting said wire,means carried by said framework for mounting said table rolls above saidroof to cause water to drain from said wire onto said roof, said roofbeing inclined laterally of said machine and extending laterally beyondboth sides of said wire to deflect such water laterally of said machineand outwardly from between the upper and lower runs of said wire, andmeans formingcoaxial pivotal mountings for saidposts on said base alongone side of said framework for tilting of said framework to acantilevered position for changing said wire. H

6. In a Fourdrinierpaper machine, apparatus for supporting the formingwire comprising means forming a base, a plurality of truss membersextending transversely of the direction of wire travel and eachincluding a pair of top and bottom structural members secured togetherinvertically spaced relation by a plurality of bracing members spaced fromeach other transversely of said wire to provide a rigid truss member ofessentially open and lightweight construction, reinforcing membersextending in the direction of wire travel intermediate the ends of saidtruss members and connecting said truss members together in spacedrelation lengthwise of said wire to form a unitary framework, aplurality of spaced posts secured .to the ends of said truss membersrespectively and cooperating withsaid base to support said frameworkfree of side beams, a roof supported on said framework in coveringrelation therewith, a plurality of table rolls for supporting said wire,a. pair of shake rails extending longitudinally of said frameworkadjacent opposite ends of said truss members, flexible means securingsaid rails to saidframework, brackets on said rails supporting saidtable 'rolls above said roof to cause water todrairrfrom said wire ontosaid roof, and said roof being inclined laterally of said machine andextending laterally beyond both sides of said wire to deflect such waterlaterally of said machine and outwardly from between the upper and lowerruns of said wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

